temperatly How much were this rule of lyuinge to attaine long life more delicate then to feede vppon fleshe and honye But in this age mē continue carefully in labours and care watching the halfe night baskinge in Venus bathe abyding in cloudye Regions and not in good ayre drinkinge boyled wynes do notwithstandinge complaine of short life And howsoeuer in deede oure liues be short it is opinion that doth make it so to appeare The people called Garamantes do not liue aboue fortye yeares I omit to speake of the Pigmeians as people rather fayned then in deede but wee if we dye before fyftye or threscore do thincke that iustlye we lament and yet who so dwelleth in those countryes do highly thanke God if he attayneth fortye yeares and thou lyuinge muche elder do neuerthelesse complayne Surelye euerye lyfe is long that is continued till death sith at the beginning the terme is destined and as sayth the Poet. In birth vvee breede our death our ende on first beginning hangeth Reade we not in holye Scripture that y nomber of dayes and monthes is appointed by God he hath set the terme which cannot be passed The lyfe of man therefore is ended wyth olde age for old age is the last part of life Olde age is also the necessitye of death wheresoeuer therefore death is necessary old age draweth neare Whoso dyeth in youth in this onelye is the more happye that he escapeth the discommoditye of old age will thou make life to seme long or short by comparison A kinde of beastes ther be called Ephemera which are made in the morning and before sonne settinge do dye If happelye they dye at noone theyr lyfe is called shorte but if they continue till nighte they accompte it longe and yet it exceedeth not twelue houres Wee maruaile at flees for theyr long life if they liue two Sommers and at flees that continue three monethes Yet whiche of these is thoughte any thinge towardes mans life we call dogges olde that passe a leuen yeares of age but a man passeth all these in longe lyuinge thoughe hee dyeth in youth But the life of mā must not be accompted longe or shorte in respecte of his yeares The life of all mortall men is but shorte because wyth death it shal be most certainlye ended It is vertue worthy actes that maketh the life longe and idlenes that shortneth thy dayes Alexander thoughe hee liued not aboue thirtye three yeares dyed an old man through the greatnes and nomber of his noble exploytes Argantonius hauinge lyued a hundreth and twentye yeares maye bee sayde to haue dyed in youth because besydes the rarenes of his age in all his life he neuer did anye thing that deserued memorye It ought also worthelye to be noted that for the most parte all notable men haue dyed in theyr youth Amonge the kinges none almoste continued to olde age Hercules Athilles Castor Pollux Aiax Iason Amonge the Poetes Lucanus Catullus Tibullus neyther was Vigill long liued neyther Demostenes nor Cicero howe true yea to true is the sayinge of the Poet. Their liues are short and age is rare vvhere life doth lacke good rule IVLIVS CAESAR Seuerus Alexander Probus Aurelianus Claudius the seconde of that name dyed in youth which men a I thincke liued the lesse the more honest they were because being deare to the Gods were the souer called vnto them Whervppon grew that saying from the Poetes whom Iupiter and Apollo do loue do neuer attaine to old age This is also to be noted that choise is to be loked for wher wil may anye wayes auayle but in thy power it is not to make thy life eyther more long or more shorte Yet if thou cā do it there is none offence at al but if thou cānot thou lamentest thy shortnes of life for no greater reason then thou may thy mortality And that care of thinges impossible is vayne onelye proper to fooles But admit thou maye continue thy life and become olde arte thou not therby the more vnhappye because thou losest that singuler commodity which by God almightye is gauen to men for the allaye of sorrow which is ignorance of time While wee continue yonge wee liue meerelye because wee imagine death is not at hande But how can olde menne thincke that death is farre awaye when alreadye they are entred the laste ende of life Howe true and worthye memorye is that sayinge of S. Austen A yonge manne maye soone dye but an olde manne cannot liue longe And yet no couse there is why thou should not be sorrye seing a yong mā maye also dye sone Syth th ende of life is vnknowē a yong man neuer ought to dispayre whether he laboureth of deadly diseases or be cast into cruell tormentes and prison The chaunces of mortal creatures do shew that men are subiect to law of nature and fortune so as withoute cause they loue certainties for most incertēties of al. But admit thou doest attaine to old age it selfe how manye euils commeth therby labour griefe ▪ sadnes losse of sences disdaine y which is almost worst of all as Caecilius doth well discribe therby thou shalte see they companye of all men eschewed vnwelcome are olde menne to their children vnwelcome to frendes disdayned of yonge men and odious to their owne familiars Theyr sences serue not theyr bodyes theyr bodyes obeye not theyr mindes they passe the nighte withoute sleepe and eate without all tast They lothe themselues how shoulde they be pleasant to others We reade that when Zeno Citieus could not dye with age he strāgled himselfe What dilligence and trauayle did Cicero take to perswade olde age to be pacientlye borne but if of it selfe it had beene good or as riches frends children and learning had apparance of good there shoulde haue beene not cause for him to haue taken such trauayle A mockerye it were to perswade that health or honour were pacientlye to be suffered and wee agree that olde age is sufferable but not to be wished for Howe manye olde men haue beene for whom it had beene better to haue died in youth Priamus for example not for myracle in historye is resited Not longe since Baccus Valor being olde and readye to take leaue of life before his eyes behelde his owne sonne beheaded a yonge man of singuler hope The next yeare before two other olde men I sawe that behelde the like fortune in theyr owne children Wherefore I wonder muche at the greate wysedome of Theramenes woo onelye escapinge when his house fell downe sayde before his frendes that reioysed for his life O fortune to what ende hast thou me preserued neyther did he aske in vaine for within fewe dayes after by the malyce of tyrantes he was taken and put to death Therfore such is the condition of men as althoughe beinge olde thou mighte returne to youth againe as the fable telleth of Aeson sayinge And as tvvise tvventye yeares bypast so novve my force I finde Myne aged yeares are vvorne
discribeth Pompeius deathe in this wise In hast he stayde his vvofull voyce and vvould no vvord complayn Least vveping teares might so vnvvares his heauenly fame disdain And vvhâ—â—â—is noble side vvas pearst vvith fearce Achilles blade No sigâ— no sob no careful cheare no sorovving sound he made but in disdaine of crueltye Cato VticeÌ„sis determined to dye ordered his goods wiselye forseinge the good of others though he neglected his owne which done reading Plato of the immortality of soules layd himselfe down slepte so souÌ„dly as he snored after being awaked sticked himselfe And when throughe weakenes of his hand the wounde was not mortal suche as were by saued him tyl at length violently he brake lose dyed Such was his gredy desyre of death Otho themperoure a yong man of thirtye seuen yeares of al men accompted soft and effeminate after hee had won thre battels of the Vitelli for the sorow of one lost gaue his mony and substance to his frendes and willed his familiar companion to shewe himselfe to the souldiers lest that after he should be suspected and in the night with two daggers murdered himselfe And yet neither dispayred hee of the holding of the Empire nor wanted the loue of the Senate or his souldiers but onlye for that nether in victory or victored he would hinder the commoÌ„ wealth Caius Iulius by Caius themperour condempned to dye â–ª obteyned ten dayes pardon all whiche time careles he consumed in sleape and table play and when the hangeman came in to warne him y his tyme was euen at hande hee tolde what aduauntage he had in the game and willed his play felow that after his death he should not boast of winning and called the hangman to record who led him towardes death accompanied with a philosopher Vpon the way being asked whaâ— he mused of He aunswered I determined to obserue what at the last instant my soule shal feele when it parteth away to the ende that after I may aduertise my frends Aratus knowing he had taken a lingering poyson at the handes of Philippus the Macedonian kinge speaking one secrete worde to his familier frend passed the rest of his life so pleasantly as semed not to haue any such griefe or assurance to dye The seuen brothers called Machabei al yoÌ„g men and sonnes of one mother by the commaundement of king Antigouns one after an other and in sondry sorte together with their Mother killed themselues Tectamenes condempned to dye went his way laughinge and being asked whether hee disdayned the lawes answered no but by dyinge I must pay that I neither asked nor borrowed of any Which example although vnder the person of one vnknowen was much praysed of Cicero yet in wise iudgements such behauiour argueth In Tectamenes rather vanity theÌ„ fortitude for a man condempned specially for wicked doing naturally can not loue death neither was it our entente to proue that death should be desired or sought for But as it is the condicion of a faithlesse man not to restore y he boroweth so is it also an vnfreÌ„dly and vnthankefull parte not to kepe that hee boroweth As therfore death is not to be fled or lameÌ„ted â—o ought it not to be sought for But as y Poete sayth Do neyther seke nor shonne the ende of thine ovvne lyfe Yet happely Craton may holde such opinion and though it be not mainteined by reason yet for the meruaile gaineth reputation among the common sort The example therfore of Theramon is more honest and more couragious For he beinge vniustly by thirty Tyrantes condempned tooke the poyson saying according to the auncient maner of Athens Critus I drinke to the for so was the greatest Tyrant and worse then Theramines called that done whatsoeuer remayned in the cuppe he threw vpon the ground The death of Phocion was more noble he seing his frend desyrous to drinke poison didde stay him after findinge that which was not left to suffise did buy more saying that in Athens a man was forced to buy his own death But why do I labor to enduce more ensamples of men when whoole Nacions may be called to recorde As the Galathians did so little regarde Deathe as they feared not to fighte Naked So did also manye noble Romaines and Germaines that nedelesse it wer to resyte their names I do therfore thinke best in fewe words to declare that men were made mortall for three causes First because there shoulde be some ende of their offences This life is displeasant and the nerer age the moore troublesome and therefore the Gimniophista as men say answered Alexander well askinge whether death or life wer stronger Liâ—e quod hee because it beareth so many calamities The second cause is that goodmen without enuy might be honoured and euil Men without feare coÌ„dempned and that riches and aucthority for whiche menne commit greate wickednesse might not be regarded Yf those thinges whiche mortall men haue were iustly wayed they shoulde as Cares and Euilles be reputed Yet if death were not Menne would muse onlye vppon Thefte and Violence while in this short space that now they lyue they thinke so much thereof The third reason is for that men might receiue rewarde of good and euil according to the quality of their deserts For after death such as haue passed a godly life shall liue not only with their brethren kinsfolke but also accoÌ„panied withal honest and learned men and aboue y starres receiue ioy and euerlasting felicitye So contrary wise the wicked in darkenesse and solitarye places shal be tormented Therfore for wicked folke only death can bee thought euill and yet is not but Good men not vnlike the Swanne who only at his death do synge may boldly reioyse and be gladde Some there are so ambicious that the care of their funeralles doth trouble them muche who are not to bee comforted but for their follye to be reprehended what is the body of man when the Spirite is passed awaye It is no moore accompted as parte or member of him but rather a Carckcasse vnprofytable stinckinge and horryble Seneca therfore didde well deuise that the same should be buried not in respect of the Dead but the liuinge least they by sauour and sight therof might be offended Where vppon in sundrye nacions hath growne sundrie customes of buryinge the Deade The Grecians were wonte to wrye them in the earthe The Romaines dyd burne them in fyre The Nathabeians did burye them in their dungehilles Yea their Kinges had none other Sepulchre The Ethiopians do cast them into the ryuers to be deuoured of Fishes The Magi did geeue them to wilde Beastes Hercani to Doggs But the Massageti most meruailouslye do eate them The Egiptians with their owne Nayles doe burie them The Persians doe wrappe theym in Waxe So incertayne is the reason where is no reason at all Alas good Foole doest thou not heare the Poete sayinge To vvant a tombe the lacke is neuer great What doth it preuayle the to lye in marble aboue the ground
resteth only in conscience and vertue of the mynde For the memorye of wicked and sinful doinges excedeth al other tormentes The harte of the wicked as sayth the prophet fometh lyke the swellynge seas and their myndes are euer vexed with feareful visions because ther is no greater affliction then when their gyltye thoughtes do continually accuse their consciences As the poet sayth VVhose mynde most giltye is and harboreth cruell thought A secret scourge vvithin himselfe such sinful dedes haue vvrought And paynes more great he tastes vvhom vvhyp of conscience beates Then did Seditius euer fele or Radamantus freates VVithin thy breaste to beare thy griefe both night and day Thou hast at hand that vvytt to obtayn thy hidden vvoes bevvray Of Comforte the second Booke BEcause in the former booke wee haue discoursed copiouslye as coulde bee generallie of the comfortinge of all miseries the consideracion of euerye seuerall euyll seemed scantlye needefull seinge right reason wise counsel then our talke might suffice to remoue al sadnes out of the mynde of eeuerye wise man but for that it was oure purpose at the beginninge to consyder withoute affection and with righte iudgemente to speake diligentlye of euerye aduersitie that maye happen to men it seemed also more necessary for vs to doe the same because some woulde thinke those thinges which should be let passe to be left vntouched of purpose rather because they coulde not bee proued then because they were superfluous Moreouer this historye of euils hath both for varietie and for example no smal pleasure wherwith it may washe awaye from the readers that spotte of sadnes whiche is wont to be lefte of the sensible minde and also of nature it selfe in greate mishappes For oftentimes though reason comforte vs and teache vs that neitter mourninge is meete neither that ther is anye cause of mourninge yet the sad mynde of it selfe can not be merie whiche thinge where yf hapneth not seldome with out any aduersitie at al how muche moore lyke is it to be lefte behinde in them that pine with long wearynes not withstāding the verye wounde to bee cured Therfore that now we maye returne to oure purposed talke of al thinges that happen in mannes lyfe sorrowe and deathe bee moste bytter For to be bereft of the companye of oure moste dearlie beloued for euer and withoute hope is wonte to seeme a mooste cruell thinge vnto all men And deathe it selfe as saith the Philosopher of al terrible thinges is mooste extreame wherefore if anie thinge be able to shake a valiaunte and wise man doubtles that oughte to be the deathe of hym selfe and his moste neare frendes For whiche cause I perceiue excellente Poetes to haue mourned bothe for theirs and theimselues and also to haue fayned others mourninge for their freendes Amonge whome Papinius bewayleth his father sayinge Gyue vvyt and vvoful voyce O Syre let me my vvoes complayne For this the moone hath hyd her face and thrise come backe agayn Syth first I set me dovvne in slouth and sobbinge cheare No muse to comfort care An other in the same cause VVhat man can make a spring of teares to feede my gulfe of griefe Or vvho hath store of teares so great and far from al reliefe Pitye hath bereft my sight and hart hath cleft in tvvayne VVhich suffereth not my vvoes to sound my tong cannot complayn Such is my griefe But would to God this complaint were not that which is commonlye spoken of The weping of y heire is the weepinge is of one that laugheth vnder a vizer for so rarely is the tender loue toward the parentes wont to be found that none is lesse Yet admit it were such as these verses expresse Surely this booke shal be thought lesse nedeful in no parte then in comfortinge the sorrowe whiche chaunceth by the death of parentes For some examples ther be of brothers which haue slaine them selues for their brothers of parents for their children and of husbandes for their wiues but that loue of chyldren toward their parentes hath bene confyrmed almoste by no experience Where by it hapneth that the complaint of Catullus maye seeme rather as they say to come frome the hart For thus he bewayles his brother Loe novv my study stayde is for cruell death haue slaine My brother deare shal I pore vvretch in vvretched life remayne The only hope of all our house O death thou hast bereft me Myne earthly ioy this brother vvas none other ioy is left me Virgil counterfayteth a more bitter lamentatiō not without wrath and indignacion of the mynd in Mezentius lamenting his slayne sonne saying My countrye vvrought my vvoe my frendes dyd hate me all If death had tane my giltles soule no griefe had made me thrall Lo yet among you men I liue and styll enioy this lyght But long I may not so Yet how much more cruell sorow is fayned of the same poet in the mother bewayling her onlye sonne Eurialus for that shee both a widowe and an olde woman sawe him slaine cruellye in his ennemyes handes There truly he contayneth the womanly tendernes of harte in these wordes Your deadly darts O foes for pittye cast in mee VVith cruell svvorde before the rest let me destroyed bee Els thou Almightye God on me such mercye haue As that my vvretched head may rest vvithin myne earthly graue The slaughter of the sonne bewayled of y mother in my iudgemente coulde not be better described of the Poet. And Homer bringes in Achilles sorrowinge sore at the buriall of his frende Patroclus when he saide But him a carefull cloud did compasse rounde about And on his head vvith heauy hand the dust he poured out And after horriblye he cryed oute Yea so farre forth is the vehemencye of his sorrowe declared that his familiar frendes feared lest he should kill himselfe But another more moderately mourneth for his death and complayneth of destines when no fayned feare in others but his owne enforced him sayinge And in my greenest yeares vvhen youth hath hyest povver Shal this my spirite depart avvaye and death my corps deuoure The Gods I cannot guide their vvill vvee must obay VVhere destny dryues I yeld my selfe vvith vvilling mind alvvay But while I set forth the follies of others me thincke I haue framed a mourninge dittye and haue not only described but rather encreased heauye mourning Notwithstanding the very matter could not be vnfolded vnles I had also put to the iudgement of Poetes for that is the common peoples opinion not onelye because the Poets be carefull to speake those thinges which be populer and liked of the common sorte but also for that if otherwyse they would speake they could not whē they be so farre wyde from all studye of Philosophye For which cause also they be shut out of Plato his common weale And herein we must either condempne Plato if he banish them vniustly or the Poets if he do it iustlye Therefore surely the better opinion is that they be banished worthilye
Eliades doth affirme those to liue short liues that do not render their parentes that due rewarde of education Such is the counsell of true dealing and surelye these vnnatural mindes procedes from some deuill otherwyse they coulde not be giltye of so greate a mischiefe The nature of man is diuelishe and so wicked as it woulde destroye all parentes neyther can it gouerne it selfe neyther doth it contayne in it selfe any curtesye by meane whereof necessarilye in shorte space it must be consumed But as it is the part of an vngracious sonne to hate the lyfe of his parentes so it is y part of a wise sonne pacieÌ„tly to take theyr deathes and to turne the same to his coÌ„moditye according to then sample of the good Phisitions who hauinge medecins wil not vse poyson yet hauing venome at hande after longe tryall of other thinges will rather then faile by venome cure diseases So the wyse man by well and discrete vsing of euill doth make the same good As first commeth to memorye the gouernment of household the ensample of wysedome and the desyre of glorye in all which the reuerence and respecte towardes the father doth chiefely hinder thee or altogether let thee The authoritye of fathers contayneth in it somewhat more then seruice and hindereth the execution of great thinges be it in warres learning or administration of the common wealth for all thinges hauinge euil successe are imputed to the sonne and al good to the father whom if hee loueth he cannot dissemble it though he deserued it not or if he loue him not it shal be called his default or want of dutye And the examples of them that willingly haue geuen place to their sonnes in glorye are so fewe as the honour that Antiocus did to his sonne Demetrius maye be taken as a myracle The euente of worldly procedings haue also made proofe of this opynion because al such as haue become excellent eyther in armes learninge or ciuil gouernmente were of those whose fathers in youth were taken awaye as Iulius Caesar Octauius Augustus Alcibiades Cicero Galenus Aristoteles yea what had Alexander beene if Phillippus had liued but one foure yeares longer for had Phillippus ended the warres wyth Darius being victorious he had gayned the whole glorye or if he had been victoryed hee coulde not haue left to Alexander meane and power of happye procedinge As therefore to cowards and men of no vertue the timelye death of the father hath euer brought hinderaunce So to noble minds it is occasion whereby to shewe themselues as they be This muste also be set before oure eyes that both life and death be the giftes of God and do euermore depende vppon his prouidence Therefore whosoeuer reproueth lyfe or death doth in sylence disalowe complayne of the deuine Iudgement because both the one and the other is meete and profitable And chiefelye if thou offende or did not loue them thou ought not to lamente for hauinge lost them thou hated Or if thou lamente otherwise it must be because towardes them thou were vnnatural But nowe thou arte safe so as thou can neyther be appeached of impiety if thou hast not before procured their harmes nor after be thought vnfrendly sith against thy wil or by mishap thou cannot offend How much better had it beene for Priamus that Hector and Politus had dyed before him who founde himselfe so greuouslye perplexed with theyr miserable chauÌ„ces as he disdayned his owne lyfe Was not Hector more happye in death for Astianax theÌ„ Priamus because to auoyde the sight of Priamê° misery he sought his owne death and so by dying left hym miserable All these were the actes of good parentes but of thother howe many haue bene whom though to hate were vngodlye yet to loue them is not necessarye Some haue taken away the common parent as did Clitemnestra who hauing killed Agamemnon was herselfe betrayed by Orestes her coÌ„mon sonne So Almenon murdered his mother Eryphiles for hauinge coÌ„sented to y death of his father Amphiarus These examples are common neither is it necessarye to loue such parents for notwithstanding by them wee haue our being yet against their willes as it seemeth we kepe it because they sought the destructioÌ„ of them of whoÌ„ wee came Therfore Licophron killed Periandrus his father for beinge chiefe auctor of his mothers death would neither take regard of his fame neither speake vnto him nor suffer him selfe to be spoken vnto But how much more wicked be they the seeke the death of theyr owne sonnes of whom the ensamples are not so few as happelye thou thinkest Mithridates murthered some of his owne sonnes and had hee not wanted power hee woulde not haue lefte one of his children on liue Theseus was also causelesse the cause of Hippolitus death and as they saye Medea cut her owne childreÌ„ in peeces Of more certentye the same is tolde of Catelina who to th ende he might be maryed a new with poyson killed his owne sonne almost a maÌ„ Matheus Duke of that Carthaginenses haÌ„ged his owne sonne Carthalus returning froÌ„ victory only because meetinge his father theÌ„ in exile he was appareled in purple wyth the badge of victorye Should any other sonne of hys suruiuing him weepe or lament the death of so cruel a father nay rather a malicious beast Yet how muche more vile was the acte of Laodices wyfe of Axioratus kinge of Capodacia who hauing by that husband sixe sonnes with poyson murthered fiue intendinge also to kill the sixt yongest of all had it not by the pollicy of kinsefolke bene preueÌ„ted What beast doth liue so hard harted as can beare the crueltye of such a mother Cattes and Connyes by reason of theyr excedyng great lust do deuoure theyr yong newly brought forth but other mothers among al the brutish kinde to destroye theyr owne yonge I neuer redde nor thoughe written it were hardlye I durst beleue Wyth like bestialitye of minde did Euergetes Ptolomeus murther the two children he gotte vpon hys sister Cleopatra the one of good yeares thother verye yonge Of these and such lyke parentes to bewayle the death how great a folly were it I my selfe haue seene and so haue manye others a gentlewomen that to enioye vnlawfull loue wythin xv dayes wyth a sword slewe her owne husband poysoned her owne sonne and before theyr buriall was maryed to her newe loue But nowe I see what thou wouldest saye I mourne not for the death of suchan auncetor but for one that was iuste good godlye and that dearelye did loue mee but howe doest thou know whether hereafter he wil be such a one stil for all such as killed theyr wyues or children were at the first also good yet grewe to this madnesse after many yeares which sheweth that theyr wickednes eyther came with time or els thoccasion grewe by time Therefore there is nothinge so vniuersallye incertaine as the loue towardes children brethren wyues kinsefolke frendes maisters Craft couereth many things so doth base fortune occasion
Cicero and freely pardoned al other Princes that were in the battayle Pharsalica He sette vppe the Pictures of Pompeius and fynallye gaue so manye sygnes and Monumentes of mercy as Cicero both before the victorye and after his deathe affirmed his Quarell the better sayinge that Pompeius defendoure of his country might more iustlye be condēpned for his crueltye to Enemies then Caesar in respect of the greate Mercie he vsed In lyke maner didde Octauius his successor procede For when Liuius the Historiographer had percyally written against him hee vsed none other Reuenge but called him a Pompeian Lykewise when Asinius Pollio had in his Booke praysed Cassius Brutus Affranius and Scipio he sought no reuēge againste him Besydes all thys he receiued into hys House Tymagines whoe in wrytinge hadde defamed Octauius Liuia and her daughter For all whiche doinge hee vsed none other Reuenge then these wordes Fruere mihi Pollio fruere But beholde howe nobly Andrianus Caesar did mytigate his ire Hee beinge made Emperoure and meetinge his Enemy sayde Thou hast escaped Declaringe that as befoore hee wanted power to be Reuenged so nowe in aucthoritye he woulde wante will and therefore did acquite him of feare It is also to bee consydered that there is nothinge that encreaseth aucthoritye more then to forgeue And therefore PELECRVS the Lacedemonian Complayninge to hys Brother that hee was not so Beloued amonge the Cyttyzens as hee was hee aunsweared Pelecrus sayinge the cause thereof is that thou can not suffer iniuries It is lykewise greatly to be noted that who so euer hath aspired to authority or greatnes they haue born with many iniuries because they the reuenge might be resembled to the fable of Praxitelis Who beinge as men saye of Nature angry and beholdinge hymselfe in a glasse espied there a visage euyl fauoured and deformed and therewithall more moued increased his collerick angry countenaunce which plainly appeared within the glasse but in the end hee brake the glasse in euery piece where of he found a face much deformed Wherby Praxitelis had experience that in seeking to reuenge himselfe of one discontentacion he occasioned many Euen so if thou murder one man thou makest his frendes and familye all thine enemies Thus in seeking to acquit thy selfe of one foe thou gettest manye yea sometymes for so doinge thy name groweth odious and thou condempned for an euyll man Fynallye who so is accustomed to reuenge mindeth none other thinge which reason and experience doth wel declare Alexander the greate in whose chamber whyle he lyued good fortune slepte knowing the vnfriendly hartes of the Athenienses and other people of Grecia who vnder the ensigne of Darius made warre againste him did notwithstandinge seeke any reuenge which greatnes of mynde Darius other vnderstanding of enemies they became subiectes and faythfull freendes But if contrarywise hee had vsed reuenge the whoole number of the Grecian youth yea all India and Peloponesso had reuolted and bene destroyed so as of Alexander he had in shorte space become a poore obscure Prince Farre vnlyke to hym dydde kinge Pirrus proceede who beinge a famous Capitayne yet folowinge Reuenge lefte his doinges imperfyte and dyed in mysecye IVLIVS CAESAR in priuate lyfe and towardes reconciliacion to hys Ennemyes beinge greatlye slaundered by Caius Caluus and Catullus dyd notwithstandinge wryte fyrst vnto Caluus and pardonned Catullus What greater Ennemy hadde he then Clodius that defyled the honoure of wedlocke Beinge apprehended he woulde not onely not condempne him but also saue him from periury But Marius dydde far otherwise hee thyrstinge for the bloud of enemies and followinge Reuenge hadde euyll ende and was the distruction of himselfe and all hys What hath bene seene more worthely done then that acte of Fabius who contrary to al right was forced by the people to receiue Minutius mayster of his horse as his companion in the empyre whoe doinge dyuers thinges contrary to Fabius desygne dyd notwithstandinge forgetting the iniury ioyn with Minutius agaynst Hanniball and to saue hym from peril vsed al care cunning which afterwardes wrought such effect as the people cōfessed how vnworthelye they had abled Minutius to bee his equal which Minutius also vpō his knees confirmed prayinge Fabius to take into his handes y hole authority and Empire Such be the rewards of noble myndes that can forget al iniuryes So dydd not Cicero when with staunderous speach he persecuted Clodius but for so doinge was himselfe bannyshed And in seekinge to banishe Antonius oute of the common wealth he there by hindred himself his friendes his countrye and all good men But is it not a thing worthy to be noted that we disdayne the iniuries of brute beastes and reuēge the wronges offered by men Also we pacientlye suffer the displeasure of tyme and can not beate the offences of men But in the one Ambicion wanteth in the other is meane to Reuenge whiche I graunte and yet in the Iniuryes of men it is to be consydered that man is wyll thou Nyll thou thy Companion in lyfe And manye times thoughe thou marcke it not by the prouoked What doth it then moue thee to suffer iniurye Is it Harme or Losse by reuenge it cannot be recouered If Harme thou seemest to Sorrowe that thou arte honeste or that thou would be so thought Seing it is the propertie of an euyl man to do iniury the property of a good man to dysdayne it Also when any man doth sclander thee disdayne thee stryke thee or hurte thee consyder whether the same be wyllinglie done or not Be cause an vnwyllinge offence may hurt and yet be none Iniurie at all Cresus was commended for pardoning Adrastus when he had killed his sonne ▪ because Adrastus meaninge was to haue shotte at the Bore and not to haue slaine the Chylde But if wyllinglye the offence bee offered examine thy selfe if thou haue geeuen cause for then is it none iniurye but deserued punishmente And if thyne ennemye hathe hurte thee thincke withe thy selfe whether thou woulde haue doone the lyke to him if thou might for then it was none Iniurye but contencion The ende of all stryfe is when the one yeldeth And therfore a boye of Lacedemon beinge deadly wounded and Comforted by his Freendes saying that or long they would reuenge the iniury done vnto him aunswearede that in no wyse they should so doe because the hurte he receiued he entended to his Enemye if his entent hadde taken place But let thy mynde be voyde of euyll free from hate and displeasure then consyder the qualitye of the offence and the state of the offender whether it be so small as is not to be regarded or the man so mad or vyle as is to be disdayned because to be reuenged vpon anye suche Iniurious occasyons or men is both dishonourable and wicked But admitte the offence be not such doest thou not remember that it is the propertye of a good man paciently to suffer iniuries not for feare but through Fortitude So Phocion beinge